The Book of Kings - EB 1.2 Baktrian story

[V.T. Marvin]

Thank you, Maion, good point!

According to the building description Baktria does in fact share its factional MIC with Makedonia, but it also shares its REGIONAL MIC with AS. This will be especially convenient for having the AS represent rebels in India.
What I intend to above that is to edit the EDB by copying the recruitment of some Baktrian units from their factional barracks and pasting it into Baktrian-AS-Ptolemaioi regional ones and editing the faction so that AS only will be able to recruit them there. Thus I hope that my native barracks, which they eventuall inherit from me, will suffice to allow them to field sensible armies and be a worthy opponent. We will see how it develops.

Right now it is Pahlava who I am worrying about most - I feel a major war comming...

[machinor]

Regional barracks in the former Eastern Seleukid provinces are usually on quite high levels, so that should not be the problem. Klerouchoi Phalangitai can be recruited from that. Also some basic medium cavalry. You might want to add some elites. Although you could roleplay that the rebels would not have access to elite unit recruitment, since the Baktrian heartlands belong are under your control, and just add some elites to their armies through console command.

[keravnos]

This is excellent. Thank you V.T. Marvin.

[Chirurgeon]

Man this is really good. Keep it up. Love the diplomacy part. Just when I was about to drop the intelligence of of the phrase "artificial intelligence"

[V.T. Marvin]

Thank you once more, dear friends, for all your kind words! I hope you will not be disappointed with the chapter that follows...

With the demise of Seleukid power the bond between Pahlavans and Baktrians, united in struggle against common enemy, loosened and the relations between the two kingdoms were becoming sour.

After unification of the three Persian kingdoms under his rule, while Seleukids became a mere protectorate of his, Pahlavan king Arshak assumed the title of Shahanshah that was used by the Achaemenid Great Kings of the past. This act, however, also implied a formal claim on the lands of Baktrians, as these were all once conquered by Cyruz the Great and thenceforth a part of Persian Empire. Aria was reputed to be the old country of from which all Persians once came from, while Baktria used to be the richest and the most prestigious satrapy of the realm. The vaunt of the full royal title of Arshak, the Great King, King of Kings, King of countries, and the Light of Arians, was thus a menace to Baktrians, as their hardly gained independence from the Seleukids seemed to be challenged again. And there were also other, more immediate, concerns on both sides.

On one hand, Shahanshah Arshak was worried that Basileus Agathokles, unlike his father and grand-father, did not leave the command of Basilikos Stratos (The King’s Own Army) upon his ascension to the throne. Rather, Agathokles commissioned his son Demodamas to take over the generalship of Dytikos Stratos (The Western Army), while he himself remained at the helm of Basilikos Stratos and ruled the realm from its camp. For his warlike nature made him feel uncomfortable among splendid palaces and ornate temples of Baktra, while he enjoyed the life amidst his troops who tolerated and even admired his roughness and daring. Agathokles, who’s motto was “Prepare in peace what you need in war” (and war was never far away from his thoughts), reinforced the army with a corps of elephants received from his Indian provinces, introduced field artillery, and exercised all different branches of his army to act together in a swift and concerted manner. To an outside observer, however, this intense training and build-up might seem like preparations for attack and it is no wonder that Arshak was gravely concerned by that.

On the other hand, Basileus Agathokles too had good reasons to be suspicious of his western neighbour. Under the thin surface of Hellenistic kingdom, Baktria, and especially her western provinces of Aria and Drangiana, was still inhabited largely by Persians who might respond favourably to Arshak’s claims rather than uphold the congenial, yet foreign, dynasty of Hellenic kings. It did not escape Agathokles’s notice, how Arshak earlier often stirred rebellion among Persian nobles against their Seleukid overlords. Therefore Agathokles considered the strength and loyalty of his soldiers to be of prime importance in the circumstances and did not dare to trust the command of the two principal armies to anybody else but to himself and to his son. Moreover, his somewhat arrogant sense of pride prevented Agathokles from approaching Arshak in a friendly manner and attempting to renew the mutual sympathy that existed between his late father and the Persian Shah.

As too often in the history of human folly, Fear, Mistrust and Ambition had conspired again to uproot Peace and had planted a seed of War in its stead, which spindled and flourished and brought plentiful reaping.

It was Arshak who struck first. The campaign was carefully planned in advance and put Basileia Baktria in utmost peril. The overture was a minor rebellion, induced by Persian money, of mountain tribes in Paropamisadai. To quell this disturbance, Agathokles led his army thither, thus leaving the western border guarded only by his son Demodamas with Dytikos Stratos (The Western Army). This happened in late autumn of the year thirty-one of Eleutheria (translators note: i.e.229 BC). Early next spring the war broke out as large Persian force, led by certain Farrokhmard, invaded Aria and marched on Alexandreia. Demodamas therefore led his army north to protect the city, whereupon the Farrokhmard sharply changed direction towards Baktra. The intent of this manoeuvre was to lure Dytikos Stratos (The Western Army) into encirclement as another Persian army, led by general Gondofar, advanced to fall into Demodamas’s back. At the same time third Persian army led by the satrap of Astauene and one of the highest ranking nobles of the realm, Suren Haushyangha, was to invade Aria from south-west, induce local Persian nobility to revolt and take over the province.

Precise timing and surprise were precondition to the success of the whole scheme and ultimately also the cause of its failure. Because the plan failed to take into account the speed with which Baktrian armies could march throughout the realm, thanks to excellent roads, built with great care and expense by Theodotos and Diodotos. Luck also intervened in Baktrian’s favour, because Shah Arshak himself was unable to lead the campaign in person, as he was incapacitated for several weeks by sudden sickness. Poisoning was suspected, but nothing was proved.

Not long after the first Persian troops crossed the border, Basileos Agathokles was notified of their invasion through his well-organized system of royal post and was able to immediately return from the eastern mountains in a heroic forced march of unprecedented speed and to block the advance of Farrokhmard’s army. This in turn allowed Demodamas to face the Gondofar’s army in confidence with his rear now being secure.

Surprised by the unexpected return of Basilikos Stratos (The King’s Own Army) to the west, Farrokhmard had to abandon the original plan of clenching and destroying the army of Demodamas between himself and Gondofar, and he had no other choice than to face Agathokles instead. Agathokles took a convenient defensive position along a mild elevation, prepared to launch an immediate pursuit should the enemy attempt a withdrawal. Farrokhmard, though, attacked confidently, and while he kept Baktrian centre, formed by formidable phalanx of Pezhetairoi, in check by a slowly approaching phalanx of his own, he sent most of his heavy cavalry to crush Baktrian left flank while annoying Baktrian right flank with the rest.

However, as Pahlavan cataphracts and Median lancers climbed up the hill to charge onwards, they saw, to their trepidation, ominous silhouettes of Baktrian war elephants which were until then hidden below the horizon. Scared by the unfamiliar smell and roar of the mighty beasts, Persian chargers lost much of their momentum and baulked. At that moment Agathokles charged them in turn with his elephants followed by Baktrian cavalry and light infantry with that. The Persian attack collapsed almost immediately and their whole right flank was routed. Afterwards Persian phalanx in the centre was crushed by the steady advance of Pezhetairoi from the front and assault of Baktrian light infantry from the rear. With that, the few remaining Persian units on Baktrian right flank were forced to retreat as well. Of the great army of twenty-eight thousand, less than one in five escaped, while less than two thousand Baktrians were lost.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

At the same time, still unaware of the return of Basilikos Stratos (The King’s Own Army) and subsequent defeat of Farrokhmard’s army, Persian general Gondofar led his fifteen thousand men onwards, supposedly in pursuit of Dytikos Stratos (The Western Army) under Demodamas. Great was then his surprise, when his scouts informed him that Demodamas is marching on in battle order to meet him, while Farrokhmard is nowhere to be seen. Gondofar had barely the time to withdraw on a nearby hill, taking defensive position in a forest there. Undaunted, Demodamas ordered his troops to charge uphill and engage the Persians in hand-to-hand combat as they were mostly archers and thus would be in disadvantage against Baktrian heavy infantry. Demodamas also sent his Arachosian light cavalrymen around both flanks of the enemy in a broad encircling movement. Convenience of high ground was of no avail to Persians when faced with disciplined advance of Baktrian line infantry in stout armour bristling with spears, while Arachosian mounted javelineers harassed Persian rear by missiles. Once Gondofar himself met his death in the fight, the rest of his men either surrendered or fled away.

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Encouraged by this victory, Demodamas pressed forward to the south, as the third Persian army under Suren Haushyangha was reported to operate between Alexandria in Aria and Propthasia in Drangiane, stirring revolt and looting the countryside. This was the smallest of Persian invasion forces, less than ten thousand strong, as Suren was not supposed to fight regular Baktrian armies, but to inspire uprising and lay siege to Baktrian garrisons. These expectations, however, quickly proved wrong, because local nobles were hesitant to rise against their King, as they were quite satisfied with their current status and unwilling to bet on uncertain future. Before long Suren learned of the catastrophic defeats of the other two Persian armies and recognized that his mission would be in vain. Accordingly he begun to withdraw back to Astauene, but he was hindered on his march by numerous ambushes and other sorts of annoyance, because the two resounding Baktrian victories induced local nobility to prove their loyalty by resisting the invaders forcefully and attacking them on sight.

Demodamas, on the other hand, was kept well informed of Suren’s movement and was quickly gaining on him. When the two armies met, the Persians stayed no chance against Baktrian superiority in numbers, arms, and training and they were all duly killed or taken into captivity. Suren Haushyangha himself saved his honour if not his life as he fell in battle, fighting bravely to the bitter end.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Meanwhile, immediately after the victory over the Persian army of Farrokhmard, Basileos Agathokles retaliated by launching an invasion of his own into Persian province of Margiane, which was only a decade ago conquered by Pahlavans from the Seleucids and where Shahanshah Arshak was reputed to momentarily reside.

When the horrid news of the crushing defeats of Persian armies and Baktrian counterattack into Margiane reached Arshak’s court in Antiocheia, he was overwhelmed yet unbroken. He hastily gathered the survivors from the abortive invasion, reinforced them with all troops he could get in the province and being still too sick to campaign himself, he nominated his trusted bodyguard Barazan to lead them in his stead. The most opportune place where to face advancing Baktrians appeared to be the Valley of Snakes, where the merchant road from Baktra to Antiocheia passes through a deep valley, whose forested slopes would provide an excellent cover for ambush. Here, however, Persian hopes were shattered by the extraordinary speed with which the Basilikos Stratos (The King’s Own Army) marched, being conditioned by long and extensive training under Agathokles. Thus the Baktrians passed through the Valley of Snakes before the Persians arrived. This in turn put Barazan into difficult situation. He was already on the western bank of Oxus and did not dare to cross the mighty river again with enemy so close to his rear. Therefore he was obliged to form his men into battle order and attack Agathokles against all odds.

The battle took place on a place which favoured the Baktrians who were tactically on the defensive. Their left flank was protected by a sheer cliff that protruded from the surrounding plain, while on the right there was open woodland that covered Baktrian infantry from charge by imposing Persian cataphracts. The space in between was barred by phalanx of Pezhetairoi and spearmen with elephants and cavalry in reserve. Barazan opened the battle by a powerful charge along the edge of the forest, but was unable to penetrate through Baktrian lines. His cavalry and greater part of infantry were soon entangled in melee, while the rest of his troops tried to circumvent the Baktrian line through the forest only to be slaughtered by Baktrian light infantry which was hiding there. Thereafter Agathokles run his cavalry around in a wide right hook and charged the Persians from their rear. Outnumbered and encircled they surrendered immediately while Barazan committed suicide on the spot.

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This defeat deprived Arshak of the last chance to stop the Baktrians before they reach Antiocheia. For the majority of her citizens hailed from Macedonian veterans, who would be more favourable to their Baktrian kinsmen rather than to their defeated and deserted Persian king, Shahanshah Arshak did not risk to be besieged in Antiocheia and fled away to Parthia to mobilize his vast realm for the next season of the war.

Free from her Persian garrison Antiocheia threw her gates open to Agathokles, who confirmed its status as Hellenic polis and capital of the whole Margiane, which was formally annexed to Basileia Baktria as an allied state. This happened at the very beginning of the thirty-third year of Eleutheria (translators note: i.e. 227 BC) and in the second year of the reign of Basileus Agathokles, of which Oxobazes was the historian.

Late Baktrian mosaic depicting Agathokles as he receives submission from Antiocheia in Margiane

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

OOC - In game terms I have used "The Force Diplomacy" minimod to force ceasefire on Pahlava and to obtain their surrender of Antiocheia-Margiane, because I did not want to kill their king, who was left alone in the city, in a siege and I could not event teleport him elsewhere as long as he was inside...

[machinor]

Great narration!

[Chirurgeon]

Truly great. What an epic struggle. This is like reading a really good history book. Keep up the awesome work.

[V.T. Marvin]

I am very glad that you like my story! Now, however, I need to consult with you something and I would love to hear your advice, because I played yesterday for a while and really enjoyed it, but have had some doubts afterwards on two issues and I am seriously considering a reload.

1.- Use of elephants: I have modded the EDB so that Pahlavans may build their top-tier faction barracks everywhere. It is really nice, yesterday I had a battle with a full-stack Pahlavan army, nearly half of which was composed of elite cataphracts and Grivpanvars (they are just amazing!). That is perfectly O.K., yet, I won rather easily, because my elephants (one unit of them is a boastful part of my royal army) proved to be awesome cata-killers, crushing the armoured horsemen in spades and routing the rest. This is of course perfectly all right, but I felt like cheating nonetheless.
So, what do you think - How, if at all, should I use my elephants without being too cheesy?

2.- Pontus: This completely unrelated to my front, but may have some repercussions of later gameplay. Despite its amazing start, Pontos proved, once again, its lack of staying power and was annihilated by the Yellow Fever who blitzed the whole Asia Minor (in 5 turns!!!) before I noticed that. This is the main reason why I am considering reload: to give them another chance. Still, I do not know, how to save them from being immediately crushed again. Maybe teleport them elsewhere (Crimea?) or give them more provinces? Or money?
What do you think - Should I give Pontos another chance? If yes, how?

3.- What to do with the Ptolemaioi: Pahlavan AI is stupid as usual to wage war on two fronts. Despite the fact that they are appalligly losing in the west to Ptolies, they still seem focused on me in the east. I do not want to blitz them or to see them wiped out between me and the Ptolies. Should I use console to hinder Ptolemaic advance? Or shoud I launch naval expedition to Mesopotamia and fight them there? If the latter, any suggestions on how to explain such move in the story?
So, any suggestions on how to deal with too fast decline of Pahlavans and explosion of the Yellow Fever?

I would not shy away from the console and force diplomacy, what I want to achieve is challenge and an epic story to tell.

Looking forward to your ideas!

[julius_caesar_the_first]

2.- Pontus: Try giving them another chance. Maybe spawn some armies using the console for them.

3.- What to do with the Ptolemaioi:Try using the console to remove all their money. But I heard it will take some time for the effects to become visible. Once this happens you could roleplay them collapsing economicly because they overstretched themselves.

You could also try teleporting a couple of armies of theirs to the Sahara.

Congratulations on a great AAR and I hope this helps.

[Mediolanicus]

First of all : Great writing VT!


Pontos : give them money, cities in Asia Minor and maybe some armies.

Ptolies : give Atiocheia, Damascos and maybe 1 extra city away to the Seleucies. Give Petra, Bostra and Palmyra to Saba and teleport some armies over.

[jhhowell]

Nice AAR! I haven't had time to play Baktria myself, sadly...

1. Use your elephants as much as you like. Looks like you earned them with those early battles in India. I haven't found elephants very effective in EB, but that was 0.8 with African elephants... If your EDB mod is causing Pahlava to build only elite units, you might consider using the console to give them a few eastern skirmishers (Gund-i-palta? the eastern Akontistai equivalent) or Peltastai just to make sure they have some units who can threaten elephants. If you get tired of elephants or they're not fun to play, the next king can be "fiscally responsible" and replace them with a half-stack of Pezhetairoi or hellenic cataphracts or something.

2. Sure, reload, why not? Some form of FD and/or console manipulation should keep them alive, if you pay attention.

3. I'm actually facing a very similar situation to yours in my Rome campaign - strong Pahlava fighting both an Indo-Baktria and the Yellow Death. Since the latter is so painful to deal with, I'm hoping to manipulate matters so the east will be interesting to play with once Rome gets there. The parts of my plan which would apply to your game would be: drain Ptolemy money via console, teleport their active armies to Cyprus, and add units to Pahlava in front-line cities and armies (or teleport armies they have from the east to the western border). Now that I've noticed there's a problem, I'll be training a diplomatic corps like QuintusSertorius did in his AARs, so I can FD provinces away from the Ptolemies and give them to Pahlava, Pontus, AS, or KH (maybe). That should be a lot quicker for Baktria to do than for Rome - you obviously have a diplomat near the Pahlava, just need one near Pontus and the Ptolemies now. And Hayasdan maybe, though they look fine in the 233 map.

With such a diplomat network, you could even force a "civil war" on the Ptolemies, similar to what Mediolanicus suggested. Asia Minor to Pontus, Mesopotamia, Syria, & Judea to a "new" AS, far southern Egypt to Saba. Then Baktria and Pahlava can fight over the remaining eastern scraps of the original AS without destroying the faction.

[V.T. Marvin]

O.K. friends, thank you for your advice (and do not be shy to continue giving me your feedback)!

I have reloaded the game and manipulated the situation in the west so that Pontos was restituted to her former holdings in Asia Minor, Pahlava,AS and Hayasdan got the Mesopotamia, Sophene and Assyria, and I helped Saba to get Petra, Bostra and Palmyra. Ptolemaioi are still a juggernaut though.

I have introduced a new House rule to restrict myself: elephants may not be charged specifically against cataphracts and should not perform complex manouevres in the battle (I guess that in real-life it would be next to impossible to steer a herd of elephants in the heat of battle as easily as, say, horses).


This is not a standard update. I just want to share with you a few screenshots from one particularly nice battle before the reload. Therefore nothing of that actually happened in my story, which will continue from where it ended last time, i.e. conquest of Margiane.

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Hope you liked this! "Real" continuation of Arshakou Polemos coming soon...

[CaesarAugustus]

I love the history-chronicle style of writing, V.T. Marvin! This AAR is reads great and has piqued my interest in Baktria, I am looking forward to your next update.

[I of the Storm]

Very good!

[waydog98]

this is the sickest aar i have ever seen perfect blend of narrative story with pictures of battles a+++... i always wanted to creat a indo greek kingdom but found it too daughting a task nice job though... maybe u can include some more depth on ur econmic state espcially with the indian cities for my sake

[V.T. Marvin]

Thank you again for your continuing support, friends, and please forgive me for not updating for a while - damned job keeps me too busy lately.
Major assessment of the economy and overall state of the Baktrian Kingdom is due when I will get to the end of the reign of Agathokles, but this still a bit into the future. For now you have to contend yourselves with a brief account of another clash between the Baktrians and the Persian Shahanshah. Hope you will enjoy it!

The catastrophic failure of Persian invasion of Baktria and Aria, utter defeat of all four Persian armies mustered in the east, annexation of Margiane by Agathokles and disgraceful flight of Shahanshah Arshak from Antiocheia had not only constituted a tremendous loss of life and gold invested in the war, but also a severe blow to the prestige of the Shah. Not surprisingly Arshak became as eager to repair his reputation by a new campaign against Baktrians as his subjects grow reluctant to support this undertaking of his. Thus the next year passed in relative quiet as Agathokles was occupied with pacification of the resistive nomads who inhabited the vast steppes of newly subdued Margiane while Arshak was gathering another army and confined himself to occasional raids to plunder Baktrian borderlands.

Full-scale war broke out only at the very beginning of campaign season of the year thirty-five of Eleutheria (translators note: i.e. 225 BC) with a massive Persian invasion of Margiane.
To ease the burden of supplying his vast host Arshak divided his force into two armies which should advance towards Antiocheia in parallel, some hundred miles apart, only to join together in pincer movement if Agathokles decided to meet them with his Basilikos Stratos (The King’s Own Army) to give battle.

The first force, led by Lord Vanan headed directly northwards across the steppe, while the second one, under personal command of Shahanshah Arshak marched along the caravan route more to the east. Between them the two Persian armies would be more than a match for the Baktrians, but once again Tyche intervened in Agathokles’s favour, when a Persian messenger communicating the progress of the first army to the Shah was intercepted by a Baktrian patrol. Agathokles exploited the opportunity to the utmost. Not only did he gain precise information on the movement of the invaders, but he also supplanted the messenger with one of his own trustees to deliver a forged message to Arshak that the Vanan’s force is about a week behind schedule. The ruse brought the desired outcome, as Arshak, who was anyway hindered by his siege train, slowed his advance accordingly and thus gave Baktrians the much needed time to engage Persian forces in detail.

Battle of Vanan´s Rush
Thereafter Agathokles rushed forward to cut of Lord Vanan on his march to Antiocheia. Pressed between a river and the Baktrian army Vanan had no choice but to attempt to force his way through despite being overwhelmingly outnumbered by Baktrians and Margianian militiamen. His bet was on splitting Baktrian line in half by a steady advance of his infantrymen formed into a phalanx in a copy of Hellenic custom, which was then to be followed an exploited by a powerful charge of mighty Persian cataphracts. Sound as it was the plan failed on superior skill and morale of Baktrian phalangites who managed to stay their ground and while their adversaries were pinned down Agathokles ordered his elephants to charge the from the flank. Afterwards the Persian infantry give way in haste and fled amidst a great slaughter while the noblemen fought till the bitter end until they were either killed or routed as well by Baktrian cavalry and spearmen. Vanan himself was slain in the fight but his name was immortalized as the people since called the battlefield “Vanan´s Rush” to commemorate his daring yet vain attack.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Once the Persians gave way Agathokles did not bother with their pursuit and led his men in a forced march to the east to engage the Shah in turn.

Battle of the Kings
The battle took place on level plain some hudred and fifty miles south-east from Antiocheia where both sides had a good view on one another and formed their lines in parallel, with the fronts being of approximately the same length. Agathokles formed his phalanx in the centre, guarded on both flanks by spearmen and skirmishers. His elephants were deployed on the far right wing to form a screen in front of Baktrian cataphracts. King himself and his guard stayed in reserve, prepared to engage when and where necessary. The Persian force was composed mainly of light infantry and archers; it apparently testified how low was the authority of the Shah in wake of the disaster of the previous invasion as most of wealthy Persian nobles and their armoured retainers were almost absent in the force.

Agathokles opened the battle by ordering his army to advance steadily forward. Arshak, surprisingly, did not used his archers to weaken the Baktrians by fire, rather he ordered his men to charge in turn, with his right flank leading and the rest following somewhat behind. The merit of this unusual tactic proved itself soon enough. While Baktrian left flank was engaged already, the right still advanced forward. The spear-wall of the phalanx thus opened, allowing Arshak to charge his cataphracts through the gap and fall onto Baktrian phalangites from their rear. Seeing the imminent danger Agathokles responded by committing his Royal Guard and himself to the fight. This forced the Shahanshah to retreat with Baktrian Guard and Royal Companions pursuing him.

The battle line meanwhile became broken and several independent encounters were going on. Eventually the Baktrians on the left prevailed and Persians opposing them routed. In the centre the phalanxes slowly chewed through the Persian infantrymen who showed a great personal bravery trying to penetrate through the pikes and cut-down the phalangites in close combat. Some two hundred paces more to the front the two Kings and their Companions clashed again to settle their dispute once and for all. Shahahshah Arshak, despite being in his late sixties, proved himself a mighty warrior and horseman, shining example to his people.

The two great Kings almost meet face to face in battle - a late Baktrian freize discovered in Kandahar, Afghanistan

Nor did Agathokles allowed any doubts of his honour to arise. Cutting his way through the mob of iron-clad horsemen he wanted to challenge Arshak to a duel. However before he managed to get close, his adversary was slain by an eager Companion, certain Teleklos, son of hipparchos Archelaos, who thus deservedly gained the right to recline during banquets at the age of mere seventeen years.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

After the death of their King the remaining Persians promptly surrendered. Agathokles then showed his magnanimity by releasing the prisoners of war and releasing to them the body of the fallen King with his weapons and armour to be buried in Pasargadai next to Cyrus. For Arshak, even as enemy, was still respected as great king, founder of mighty empire, and his memory shall not be disgraced. Afterwards the Baktrians duly buried their dead and erected a trophy to commemorate their victory.

Soon afterwards an embassy hurriedly arrived from Persia with the purportedly to negotiate the end of hostilities. By the right of inheritance the throne now should have passed to Arshak’s eldest son Spanyasph who had previously been appointed by his father as satrap of Khwarazm. Yet his succession was thwarted by Arshak’s Grand Vizier and Spahbed Darman, who, being present in the capital and having close relationship to the most influential noble families of Persia, exploited his position and proclaimed himself the King. At first his position was far from certain as rebellions against the usurper were to be expected. Therefore he devised a most cunning scheme, which should have help him to establish himself as the Great Shah more securely.

According to this scheme his envoys spoke to Basileus Agathokles as follows:

“Hear, hear, great king of the Hellenes! We bring you a message of peace from our Lord, most noble Shahanshah Darman, King of countries. Recent warfare between our nations was most unfortunate and we shall not hide our share of responsibility as it was our King, Arshak, who invaded your country and not you who invaded ours. However, Arshak paid the highest price for his ambitions already. Upon his death, Darman, his closest lieutenant, who always had been a friend of Baktrians and advised against the war, assumed the burden of lordship to heal the wounds inflicted by war on our and your countries alike. He did so in despite of the claim of inheritance of Spanyasph, eldest son of late Shah Arshak, just because Spanyasph is irreconcilable enemy of Baktrians and is bent on continuing the war whereas Darman wants the peace between us to rule again.

Darman, his justice be hailed, also would like to offer you a reimbursement for the damage caused by the recent war. However, because the Royal Chest is empty right now due to the expenses of the unfortunate campaign of late Shah Arshak there is not enough gold to match his generosity and satisfy your rightful demands. Therefore Shah Darman offers you to take the revenue of the province of Khwarazm as a security until our fiscal situation allow paying the indemnity in gold.”

What went unsaid, of course was, that Khwarazm was held by Spanyasph, who was most unlikely to accept further humiliation after being deprived of his father’s throne. Agathokles of course knew that very well and in his eyes it just gave the outrageous deal appearance of plausibility. He reasoned that as Spanyasph naturally refuse to submit Baktrians would then be fully entitled to take the province from him by force. Khwarazm would yield enough in tribute to pay all Baktrian expenses many times over. The deal was thus tempting to Baktrians. However, it was not without merit from Darman’s poit of view either. Of course, he would lose one province, but more importantly he would got rid himself of dangerous pretender, Spanyasph, without having to commit himself personally to his removal which would be done by the Baktrians. Thus the deal seemed attractive for Darman as well.

Without much delay Agathokles agreed to Darman’s proposal. Cease-fire between Basileia Baktria and the Persian Empire was signed, technicalities regarding the exchange of prisoners of war worked out and the Persian embassy was sent home with plentiful gifts from unsuspecting Agathokles, who then set out on the march to Khwarazm to take his promised indemnity. Afterwards, once Agathokles was conveniently far away in the north-west, Shah Darman set his real masterplan into motion...

[Chirurgeon]

It ceases to amaze me the quality of the screenshots in these AARs. I can never seem to capture things perfectly. Excellent job! Love the one with the kings horses and the battle raging in the backround. Very nice indeed.

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

The two great Kings almost meet face to face in battle - a late Baktrian freize discovered in Kandahar, Afghanistan

I haven't read it sadly (no time), but from what I see your AAR is marvellous.

The above picture is fantastic, how do you add the depth? It looks 3D really.

[I of the Storm]

Yup, great update again!

[Ruepelheinz]

Nice. I like your screenshots, too. Keep up the good work!

[Africanvs]

Great job V.T. I really like this AAR. Baktria has always been one of my favorite factions. You've inspired me to do an AAR on them some day.

[V.T. Marvin]

Thanks for your support, friends, but real-life defeated me again, so I regret to say that this AAR have to be put on hold (probably permanently).
I still have the savegame (so there is a technical possibility to continue eventually), but what I lack is the time to play, and than much more time to write the story and edit the screenshots to make it an AAR. I apologize for starting something I am unable to finish properly and wish all fellow-AAR-writers more endurance and free time than I have!

[I of the Storm]

Sad. Can't be helped. Anyway, I liked it a lot. Hopefully you'll find time to continue it and good luck with RL

[julius_caesar_the_first]

Too bad. I'm sorry to see this end. Good Luck with RL.